Al Muniz, Newport Harbor

Don Cantrell

Al Muniz is one of the finest football guards ever to come out of

Harbor High and Orange Coast College.

Muniz, a 1949 graduate of Newport Harbor, is the brother of the late

Manuel Muniz, a second-team All-CIF selection at tackle off the

championship ’42 grid team at Newport and the brother of Joe, a two-year

veteran at Harbor in 1943 and ’44.

He was also named first string All-Eastern Conference once in the

early 50’s and had been highly praised by the late Johnny Owens, the

early day OCC defensive coach.

“I always liked Johnny Owens,” Muniz said. To him, Owens was a solid

and fair-minded coach.

Looking back and noting that Muniz played through three head coaches

in high school and one in junior college, he was asked to name the one

who impressed him most over the years.

In response, Muniz said, “Al Irwin. He was the kind of man you wanted

to play your heart out for.”

By the time Muniz had cleared Orange Coast College, he had been

offered ample scholarships and 20 letters came from different colleges,

which included Washington State, Oregon State, Oregon, Tulsa, Fresno and

San Jose State. After considerable thought, he chose not to advance to a

major college.

One of his greatest performances in high school was the night his ’48

Harbor High team almost defeated St. Anthony of Long Beach, the defending

CIF champion, which starred future All-American fullback John Olszewski

and All-CIF quarterback Bill Mais. Both tired of Muniz exhausting them in

rugged line play.

He was a 250-pound guard with power and quickness. Few could defend

against him consistently.

Muniz also spent 10 years helping Costa Mesa youth with his coaching

in Pop Warner football. He once helped his brother Manuel with his youth

coaching in Santa Ana. His two top players were his son, and Isaac

Curtis, who went on to star at Santa Ana High in the backfield, and at

end for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Muniz later helped coach the Costa Mesa Comanches six years (the 9-11

age group) and the Costa Mesa Caballos (the 12-12 age group) four years.

He played on one championship team that still prompts amusement. It

was the Future Farmers of America basketball team. It was the Future

Farmers of America basketball team at Harbor High in the late 40’s and he

was the sixth man.

Over the years, Muniz was one of the grid team’s most admired players

at all levels, and today he finds himself in a similar position with his

induction into the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame, celebrating the

oncoming millennium.